Champness receives Hall of Fame Chairman’s Award

Steve Champness (center), National Accounts Director for Trade-A-Plane, receives the 2016 Chairman’s Award from The Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame, in recognition of his lifetime of aviation contributions. Presenting the award is General George Harrison (right), chairman of the Hall of Fame. Also pictured is Jimmy Norton (left), GAHOF board member.

Crossville, TN (May 11, 2016) — Steve Champness, now in his 25th year as National Accounts Director for general aviation buy/sell publication Trade-A-Plane, has received the 2016 Chairman’s Award from The Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.

The award was presented recently at the Hall of Fame’s 2016 Enshrinement Ceremony in the Delta Flight Museum at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The honor was given to Champness in recognition of his lifetime of aviation contributions.

Hall of Fame officials explained that, “From time to time, when the Board recognizes, and a consensus concurs, the Chairman may choose to recognize an individual whose exceptional contributions to aviation in the State of Georgia cause him/her to stand out from his/her peers. This recognition will be in the form of the Chairman’s Award to be presented at the annual Georgia Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony.”

"I want to thank the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame Chairman and Board of Directors for selecting me to join the other, previous honorees that have had so much positive influence on the Georgia aviation community," said Champness. "I'm honored and humbled to be included with this great group of Georgia aviation legends, and I am equally honored to work with the great professionals at Trade-A-Plane,” he continued.

Champness got his start in aviation as an Assistant Flight Engineer in the U.S. Navy, logging more than 2,000 flight hours in P-3 Orion Navy Patrol aircraft. He is a licensed, private pilot with more than 500 hours flight time. The president of the Atlanta Aero Club for 16 years, he is also past president of the Peachtree DeKalb Airport Association and serves on the boards of several aviation organizations.

Regarding the award, Champness remarked, “The knowledge that this award came from my peer group makes me appreciate it all the more.”

Rachel Hill, publisher of Trade-A-Plane, said that Champness is most deserving of the esteemed award. “Steve devotes numerous hours to the aviation community as the president of the Atlanta Aero Club, and I could not be more honored to work with him,” she said.

Trade-A-Plane, known as The Aviation MarketPlace, has been published since 1937 by TAP Publishing Company. The fifth generation, family-owned media company specializes in buy/sell marketplaces for aviation and other industries. The company also has an online weather service, and is a commercial printer.

Founded in 1989, The Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame exhibit is located at the Museum of Aviation at Robin’s Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia.